


Dans Le Noir

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Series: Blind!Harry 'Verse [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Blind Character, Blindness, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 23:31:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4368503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry takes Louis out to a special dinner in the summer of 2011.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dans Le Noir

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this off and on for almost a year--using it as a distraction when other stories gave me writer's block--and I finally got it done this week! I loved stepping back into this universe, and definitely have plans for more (I have two beginnings for two other one shots open on my netbook).
> 
> My thanks to Cori for beta reading for me and being honest about how I could make it better, even if it meant I had to play with it some more. Any errors left are mine and mine alone.
> 
> Thanks for everyone's patience in waiting so long for another one shot in this universe. I appreciate it!

**_Timestamp: Summer 2011_ **

"What is this place?" Louis asked, looking up at the awning and reading aloud, "Dans le Noir."

Harry grinned. "It means 'in the dark.'"

Louis chuckled. "I know that. I do remember my French classes."

"Your teachers will be thrilled," Harry commented wryly.

"It looks like Braille underneath the name of the restaurant," Louis went on to note.

"That makes sense," Harry said cryptically.

"So, what's the deal here?" Louis rephrased his earlier question.

Harry's grin grew even wider. "It's a restaurant manned by blind waiters and waitresses, and the deal is, you eat in pitch darkness."

"Really?" Louis confirmed excitedly. "That sounds amazing."

Harry's smile became shy. "I thought you might like to see--if you'll forgive the term--what it's like for me."

Louis leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Harry's lips. "I can't wait," he assured him.

"Shall we go in, then?" Harry suggested, tightening his grip on Louis' arm.

"Absolutely."

Louis led the way into the restaurant, walking right up to the hostess standing behind the desk. "Hi," he greeted her pleasantly.

"Welcome," she returned equally as pleasantly. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes." Harry took over. "Styles."

She checked her list and smiled when she came to the surname, using her pen to make a mark by it. "It's just the two of you?"

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"Great! Have you been here before?"

Both boys shook their heads.

"My mother told me about it," Harry added. "She's been here."

"Well, I'm glad she enjoyed it enough to recommend it," the hostess told him brightly.

At that moment, another young woman appeared. The hostess said, "This is Sabrina. She's going to explain how this works, then she'll take you to your table."

"Thanks." Louis turned toward the newcomer. It was immediately obvious to Louis that Sabrina--like Harry--was visually impaired. He greeted her warmly. "Hi, Sabrina."

"Styles, party of two?" she confirmed.

"That's us," Harry told her.

"Excellent. Welcome. Follow me, please." She turned to head for a flight of stairs directly behind them.

Harry took Louis' arm again as Sabrina explained, "First we go down to a locker room where you will leave anything you're carrying that emits light or might be a tripping hazard."

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Sabrina led them into a room lined with small lockers. She directed the boys to remove anything that lit up--including their mobile phones--and anything that might trip someone up if it fell on the floor, like a jacket.

Louis stored their phones and jackets in a locker near the door, shutting it securely and lodging the key in his pocket.

"All set?" Sabrina asked.

"Haz? Ready?"

Harry nodded.

"We're set," Louis told her.

"One last thing, then, before we head into the dining area. You'll need to sign a waiver," Sabrina informed them.

"A waiver?" Louis repeated cautiously.

"Yes. It just states that we aren't responsible if you get injured or something falls on you which stains your clothes."

"Ah, that makes sense, I guess," Louis said.

"Does that mean I could have been suing people for that all along?" Harry wondered with a wide grin.

Louis chuckled as Sabrina showed them to a table with a stack of papers and a container of pens on it. A young man, obviously sighted, sat behind the table, and he greeted them with a happy, "Hi there."

"Hi," Louis returned.

"Welcome to Dans Le Noir," the young man went on. "I have two things for you. One is the waiver, which Sabrina explained to you, yes?" He paused to check that he was correct in his assumptions, looking up at Louis and Harry expectantly.

Louis nodded. "She did."

"Good. The other is a sheet describing our four menus. You will choose a type of food, but part of the experience is trying to figure out what you're being served," the young man explained. "So, go ahead and take a look at the choices and decide what you'd like to try, then I can take your order, you can sign the waiver, and you can enter the dining area."

The young man handed a paper over to Louis and had one poised to hand to Harry when his gaze took in Harry's hand on Louis' elbow, then tracked up to Harry's face. Louis could tell the instant the young man realised Harry was blind, and Louis smiled gratefully as the young man pulled out a Braille menu.

"Harry, Braille," Louis prompted, tapping Harry's free hand with his own.

"Oh." Harry reached his hand out for the paper. "Cheers."

The menu featured four different categories of food, all designated by colour. White for a surprise menu, blue for seafood, green for something vegetarian, and red for meat.

"What do you think?" Louis asked Harry.

"I think we should order the same thing so we can help each other figure everything out," Harry suggested.

"Works for me," Louis agreed. "Which seems safest?"

"Meat? The red one?"

"Works for me. We'll do both do the red menu," Louis told the young man.

The young man smiled and nodded, taking a paper out to mark down their choices. Next, he slid two waivers--one in print, one in Braille--over. Louis signed his, then helped Harry find the line to do his signature.

"You're all set, gentlemen," the young man said. "Sabrina will walk you into the dining room now."

After they traipsed back up the stairs, Sabrina urged Louis to put his hand on her shoulder before heading into the dining area. "It's pitch black in there," she warned. "Just follow me slowly."

Harry just continued to hold onto Louis elbow. "You okay there, Haz?"

Harry grinned at Louis. "It's going to be not a whole lot darker in there for me than it is for me out here."

"Oh. Right."

"Walk carefully there, Lou," Harry ordered.

"I shall try."

"Let's go, gentlemen," Sabrina said, leading the way first into a small room with dim light, then through a thick dark curtain into a room that was, indeed, dark as pitch.

Louis kept his hand tight on Sabrina's shoulder as she wended her way through the tables. It wasn't long before she stopped moving. "Your table is on your right." She took Louis' hand off her shoulder and guided it to the back of a chair.

Once Louis had oriented himself, he took Harry's hand and placed it on the edge of the table. "I'll sit here on the left, Harry."

"Got it." Louis could hear Harry shuffling in the opposite direction, then the scraping of a chair on the floor. "I'm sitting, Louis. You can sit, too, now."

"Right," he said again, pulling out the chair Sabrina had indicated was his and sitting down.

"Your waiter will be right with you," Sabrina told them. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks," Harry and Louis chorused together.

"So, what do I do first?" Louis asked, keeping his hands in his lap for fear of knocking something over.

"Check out your place setting," Harry told him sagely. "Start at the edge right in front of you and use your fingertips. Be as slow and gentle as you can."

"Are you doing that, too?" Louis checked.

"Yes."

Louis had actually watched Harry do this every time they went anyplace new to eat, whether it was to a restaurant or someone's house, so Louis pictured Harry feeling out his surroundings and tried to duplicate it himself.

He easily found his plate, his silver, and his napkin, which he immediately unfolded and laid in his lap. When he went back to find his water glass, he misjudged how far he'd explored before, and he knocked it over.

"Oops," he said as he righted the glass.

"Good thing they haven't filled it yet," Harry remarked, a smile clear in his voice.

"Seriously," Louis agreed.

"Find everything?" Harry inquired.

"I think so. Plate, fork, knife, spoon, napkin, glass. Am I missing anything?"

"Not that I can think of."

At that moment, their server appeared, clearing their throat to let Louis and Harry know they were there. It turned out to be a woman, who greeted them warmly. "Hi. I'm Jenny. Welcome to Dans le Noir."

"Thank you," Harry and Louis chorused.

"Have you been here before?" Jenny questioned them.

"No," they answered simultaneously.

"Well, then, I hope you'll enjoy the experience," she wished.

"Thanks." Louis took that one, since as far as Harry was concerned, the only part of this experience which was new was not knowing what he would be served.

"Would you like some water?" Jenny went on.

"Sure," Louis replied at just about the same time as Harry said, "Yes, please."

Louis listened as she filled their glasses with water. When she was done pouring, she explained, "If you imagine your plate as a clock, your water glass is at one o'clock."

Louis was familiar with this method, having first heard Harry's mother use times on a clock to describe where Harry's food was, then using this system himself when Harry needed help. Tentatively, Louis reached out and easily found his glass, lifting it for a sip and carefully putting it back.

"So," Jenny spoke again, momentarily surprising Louis. He had nearly forgotten she was there. "You have both ordered the red menu, is that correct?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"Excellent. Your starter will be out soon. Would you like anything else to drink?"

"I'm fine with water," Harry told her.

"Me, too," Louis said.

"I'll be back when your starter is ready," Jenny informed them, then Louis heard her footsteps move away toward another table.

"This is very trippy," Louis remarked.

There was a grin in Harry's voice when he returned, "I'm sure it is. So far, so good?"

"So far, so good," Louis agreed.

Louis took another sip of his water, and from the sound coming from across the table, he figured Harry was doing the same.

"So," Harry began. "What do you think we'll be served?"

"I don't know," Louis replied. "I hope it's not something too weird."

"It'll be good to expand your horizons beyond pizza, burgers, and cereal," Harry went on.

"Hey! I eat more than pizza, burgers, and cereal," Louis protested.

"That's right," Harry conceded. "Sometimes you call in for Chinese takeaway."

Louis pouted, even if Harry couldn't see it. "I can't help it. I'm a man of simple tastes."

"And you're lazy," Harry added.

"And I'm lazy," Louis agreed. "You cook way better than I do. Which, by the way, is still amazing."

Louis could hear the modesty in Harry's voice as he said, "I just spent a lot of time with my mum in the kitchen, that's all."

"Well, I still think it can't be easy, cooking when you can't see," Louis insisted, already imagining Harry's shrug.

"I figured it was learn to cook or go broke eating out when I moved out," Harry explained.

"And I, for one, am grateful of that, since I am the one you moved out with."

He was busy imagining Harry's smile at the compliment when Jenny reappeared. "Ready for your starters, gentlemen?"

"Ready as we're ever going to be," Louis told her.

"Sit back while I put the plates down," Jenny requested.

After Louis did so, he heard a plate being set down in front of him. "Food's right in the centre of your plate," their waitress informed them. "Bon apetit."

"Thank you," Harry said.

Louis carefully reached for his fork as he asked, "Is it cool to reach out and touch whatever this is I'm about to eat?"

"I can't think why not," Harry replied. "It's not like anyone can see you to point it out if it's not cool."

"Good point." Louis used his fingertips to find the edge of the plate, then slowly moved toward the middle to find the food. While he did so, he could hear Harry take up his fork to attack his own starter.

Feeling his food didn't really give Louis a lot of information about what it was, just where it was and that there were two items. One was made up of small pieces of something, and the other had two circular shaped pieces of food on something thin. Neither was very slick, which made sense, because--likely on purpose--none of the items felt like they would be messy to eat.

Having fully explored his plate, Louis used his fork to cut off a bite, then used his finger to slide the bite onto his fork, which he then guided into his mouth. He'd watched Harry eat hundreds of times by then, and in this particular moment he was even more impressed by how Harry managed food. He was sure he had not been remotely graceful.

"Any idea what it is?" he asked Harry after he'd swallowed that first bite.

"Not sure," Harry answered. "Maybe some kind of poultry. Not chicken, but something not far from chicken."

"Well, what I just tasted was nothing like chicken," Louis told him. "I think it was parma ham."

"I haven't gotten to that yet."

They ate in silence for a few moments, then. Louis worked hard at trying to figure out what the different parts of the starter were. He and Harry compared notes when they were both done.

"There was definitely parma ham there, you were right about that," Harry declared. "And I still think that one thing was some kind of poultry. And there was some lettuce or cabbage."

"And I think I tasted chestnuts, and the poultry thing had garlic on it," Louis added his ideas.

Their server showed up at that juncture. "Well, gentlemen, did you enjoy your starter?"

"It was okay," Louis admitted.

"Can you tell us what it was?" Harry inquired.

"Not right now," Jenny informed them. "But when you go to pick up your things from the lockers downstairs, they can show you the menu, if you like."

"Excellent," Harry remarked.

"Are you all done?" Jenny questioned.

"Yes," Harry and Louis chorused.

"Then I'll go ahead and take your plates," the server said, and the clinking noise which followed told Louis she was collecting their plates. "Your entrée will be out shortly."

"Thank you," Harry said politely.

When it was clear she was gone, Harry wanted to know, "So, are you enjoying it so far? Eating in the dark?"

"It's definitely an experience," Louis responded. "It's a little more disconcerting than I thought it would be. Makes me even more impressed that this is how it is for you all the time, and you handle it so well."

In his mind, Louis could see the blush colouring Harry's cheeks at the compliment. "Thank you."

Emboldened by the fact that no one could see them, Louis slipped out of his right dress shoe and reached his foot out to find Harry's. Harry gasped at the sudden touch. Louis snaked his toes up under the cuff of Harry's trousers. Harry gasped again. Mission accomplished.

"Louis!" Harry hissed.

"What? No one can see," Louis countered.

"Good point," Harry allowed.

Next thing Louis knew, Harry's right foot was under the cuff of Louis' trousers. Louis couldn't help but giggle.

"So, what do you think the entrée will be?" Louis asked, still gently playing with Harry's shin.

"I have no idea. You have any ideas?" Harry turned the question back on him, also rubbing his toes against Louis' leg.

"Not a clue."

They didn't have to wait very long. Jenny came back with their entrées just a couple minutes later. As the boys returned their feet to their shoes, she once again described where the food was and wished them "Bon apetit" before leaving them to figure out what they had been served.

As he had with the starter, Louis used his fingers to find the food--happy no one could see him. He confirmed that everything was in mostly small pieces, then took tentative bites of each of the items. The clinking of silverware on tableware told him Harry was again doing the same, though in all likelihood less messily.

After he'd had a chance to try all three of the delicacies on his plate, Louis asked Harry, "Any guesses as to what we have here?"

Harry made a sound that indicated he was just finishing a bite, then he said, "I am almost positive one of these is lamb."

Louis had thought the same thing. "I think you're right. I am pretty sure one of the others is pork."

"Yes!" Harry cheered. "I thought so, too. So, what's the last one?"

"Maybe more poultry?" Louis ventured. "Though I don't think it's chicken."

"No, not chicken," Harry agreed. "Can't quite place it."

"It's all very frou-frou, isn't it?" Louis remarked. 

Harry chuckled. "You can apparently take the boy out of McDonalds, but you can't take the McDonalds out of the boy."

Louis shrugged. "I like what I like."

There was a smile in Harry's voice when he said, "I know."

"It's really weird to have to try to figure out what I'm eating just by how it tastes and how it smells," Louis continued.

"When I was little, my mum read that blind kids sometimes don't want to eat because they can't see the food or they have issues with texture, so she had to be very careful about what she introduced me to and when. She was always really good about describing things she was about to serve me and letting me know what it was. So that part's weird to me, too, not to know ahead of time what I'm eating," Harry shared, giving Louis a little insight as to what things had been like for Harry as a kid.

"Good to know I'm not alone in thinking it's weird."

"Nope."

It didn't take the boys too long to finish up their entrées, and Jenny showed up soon after to collect the plates. "What did you think?"

"Interesting," Louis responded.

"We think we've figured out two of the three dishes," Harry informed her.

"Well, once you've finished dessert, you can find out if you're correct," Jenny said, clearly smiling.

"Already looking forward to it," Louis admitted.

Jenny expertly picked up each of their plates. "I'll be back shortly with that dessert."

"Great. Thanks," Harry said.

When he was sure she was gone again, Louis asked Harry, "You don't think they'll try to serve us something like ice cream, do you? I'm pretty sure I haven't gotten too much food on myself here, but ice cream would be super tricky."

"Ice cream is manageable," Harry countered. "But I'm going to guess no. It's only manageable for me because I've had seventeen years of practice. I'm guessing they'll serve something a little easier to handle."

Impulsively, Louis made to reach across the table for Harry. Once again, however, he misjudged where his glass was, and this time when he knocked it over, his water poured out over the table and onto the floor.

"Shit!" Louis swore softly.

Harry chuckled. "It's okay. Happens to me all the time."

Louis sighed. How Harry maintained his composure even when these kinds of accidents happened, he would never know, and he would never cease to be amazed.

Like magic, someone's footsteps approached the table. "We'll get this cleaned right away, sir."

Louis could hear the sound of the man cleaning up the mess Louis had made, then Jenny reappeared to refill his water glass. "All set?" she checked.

"Thank you," Louis told her.

Once the sound of her heels dissipated, Louis said, "Let me try that again." He felt for the water glass first, then reached past it to the other side of the table, finding Harry's hand resting on the table. He took Harry's hand in his.

Harry squeezed Louis' hand. "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," Louis returned. "I'm kind of enjoying being able to do this in the middle of a restaurant without worrying about anyone seeing or taking a picture."

"It's nice," Harry agreed. "I'm just enjoying being out with you and having you all to myself."

"That part's nice, too, yeah."

The boys just sat quietly for a few moments, reveling in being alone together.

Dessert came not long after. Reluctantly, Louis let Harry go. It took him a minute to remember where his spoon was, but once he found it, he dug in.

After one bite, he was able, with glee, to announce, "It's cheesecake!"

Harry laughed. "I think you're right. I taste a good bit of vanilla, too, so maybe it's vanilla cheesecake."

Louis took another bite. "Yeah, I can taste vanilla, too. And maybe white chocolate."

Louis listened as Harry clearly took another bite of his own dessert. "Hm. You may be right on that one, too."

The boys were quick to scarf down their cheesecakes, both delighted to have so easily figured that one out.

When Jenny came to collect their final plates and find out whether they needed anything else, they told her they didn't. She told them someone would come along momentarily to guide them downstairs so they could collect their things from the lockers downstairs. They could pay for their meal on the way out.

"Thanks," Louis said. "It was quite the experience."

"I'm glad to hear it. Have a great night," she wished them.

Not a minute later Sabrina--the young woman who had guided them to their table to begin with--appeared to reverse the journey. Louis stood first, then let Harry get a good grip on his elbow. Once Harry was set, Sabrina guided Louis' hand to her shoulder, and they began to walk out of the dining room.

As they exited the dim intermediate room, Louis had to blink his eyes against the light of the lobby. He stopped short, and Harry stopped right along with him.

"What is it?" Harry questioned, his voice laced with concern.

"Light," Louis explained, still blinking in the sudden brightness.

Harry chuckled. "There's light?" he joked drolly.

Louis laughed, too, dropping his hand from Sabrina's shoulder. "I think I can take it from here," he told her.

"You sure?" Sabrina checked.

"Yep. Thanks so much," he returned before making his way to the top of the staircase which would take them back to their things. He made sure to announce he was about to start down before leading Harry to the locker room.

Louis was starting to pull their locker key from his pocket when Harry reminded him, "Don't forget to ask what it was we ate."

"Right!"

The young man who had presented them with the menus and waivers earlier in the evening was still at his post, but was not helping anyone at that moment, so Louis led Harry over to the table. When the young man looked up at him with a smile and a quizzical look, Louis said, "Jenny, our server, told us that you could tell us what we ate, so we can see if we guessed right. Are you the right person to ask?"

The young man's smile grew bigger. "I sure am. Which menu did each of you eat from again?"

"We both chose the red menu," Harry reported.

The young man pulled a sheet from a bin behind him and handed it to Louis. "I need it back when you're done," he demanded, albeit kindly.

"Absolutely." Louis moved from the table to stand in front of the lockers and read the menu to Harry.

"What did we eat?" Harry prompted.

Louis perused the sheet, finding the red menu near the bottom of the page. "The starter was quail's breast and cabbage, chestnuts, and parma-ham salad."

"Quail!" Harry exclaimed. "I knew it was some kind of bird."

Louis smiled. "You were correct."

"What was the entrée?"

Louis checked the paper again. "Pork belly on shallots, duck breast, and lamb."

"We guessed two out of three," Harry remarked proudly.

"Well, really more like two-and-a-half. We knew there was more poultry in there. I'm surprised I didn't recognise it was duck. I've had duck before," Louis commented.

"Me, too. So, I know dessert was cheesecake...." Harry dug for more information on their sweet treat.

Louis consulted the paper one last time. "Vanilla bean and white chocolate cheesecake."

Harry held his fist up for Louis to bump. "We did pretty well."

"We did," Louis agreed, dutifully bumping Harry's fist.

They made quick work, then, of retrieving their things and handing the menu back to the young man guarding it, then ascended the stairs for the last step of their meal, paying.

Harry insisted on being the one to cover this experience, as it had been his idea. Louis attempted to protest, but Harry just ignored him and pulled out his wallet and began to extract bills. He seemed to have plenty, leading Louis to guess that Anne had given Harry an idea of what it would cost--or Harry had asked when he'd made the reservation.

When their bill was settled, they thanked the cashier, then headed out into the summer-warm London night.

Louis stopped just to the right of the door to gently encourage Harry to let go of his elbow for just a second. Harry was confused, but did so. He was not confused for long, as Louis put one hand on each of Harry's cheeks to draw him in for a chaste kiss. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For showing me a little bit of what it's like to be you."

Harry smiled, dimples popping in that way that made Louis weak in the knees. "It was my pleasure."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was mine. I'm even more impressed by you than I already was." Louis pressed one more kiss to Harry's lips, then fit his elbow back into Harry's hand. "Anything else you want to show me tonight?"

"I have plenty of ideas," Harry offered suggestively.

Louis grinned. "Home then?"

"Lead on."

End (3 July 2015)

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. For anyone wondering, this restaurant does really exist. The menu I have the boys eating from is an old one from their London restaurant. I have never been to this restaurant, so I used the details I could find online and extrapolated. :-)


End file.
